Lion, Berkovitch to face off in Jerusalem run-off race

Berkovitch called upon unsuccessful candidates Ze'ev Elkin and Yossi Daitch to endorse him.

By GIL HOFFMAN
“Hitorerut in Jerusalem” leader Ofer Berkovitch October 30 2018 (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
“Hitorerut in Jerusalem” leader Ofer Berkovitch October 30 2018
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Jerusalem city councilmen Moshe Lion and Ofer Berkovitch will go head to head in a run-off race on November 13 after finishing first and second in Tuesday's election for Jerusalem mayor.
Neither candidate received the 40% of the vote needed to avoid a run-off.
Berkovitch came to the Kedma restaurant that overlooks the Old City walls from the mamilla shopping center to thank his supporters. 
"Victory has already been achieved," he said.
Berkovitch called upon unsuccessful candidates Ze'ev Elkin and Yossi Daitch to endorse him. He told reporters he hopes haredi (ultra-Orthodox) voters to help him beat Lion, who is backed by Shas and Degel Hatorah.
Elkin lost despite strong support from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who sent text messages to tens of thousands of Jerusalemites Tuesday evening, visited Elkin's campaign headquarters Monday and took him last Wednesday to Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda Market.
 “The prime minister did everything he could to help Elkin,” a source close to Netanyahu said. “Netanyahu can give candidates a boost and his influence is significant but it has its limits.”